Best time of year to buy a new car?

scottmandue · 02-02-2006, 07:01 AM

Well my commuter/beater has hit 70K miles so it is about time to dump it and get something new.

Is there actually a "good time of year" to buy a new car or is that a myth?

BTW I commute twenty miles each way on flat bumper to bumper Los Angeles freeway then leave the car in a parking structure to be abused by Joe public so all I need is cheap reliable transportation.

legion · 02-02-2006, 07:06 AM

August-September used to be a good time. You could usually get last year's model for pretty cheap as the newer models were showing up on the lot.

Around here, very few people shop for cars in the winter, which makes for hungry car salespeople.

With the advent of the deep-discounts from some manufactureres, I'd just wait until one of them feels its numbers are too low and decides to discount its inventory.

Another thought, because of the recent deep-discounts, there are plenty of gently-used 1-3 year old cars that got traded in. You can avoid the depreciation hit, get the remainder of a factory warranty, and still get an almost new car.

wcc · 02-02-2006, 07:08 AM

Keep driving it. It's cheaper in the long run to do repairs on it then that car payment every month. Then who cares what happens to it. My car has been hit in the parking lot about once a year, not to mention the numerous door dings. I wouldn't drive a new car to this job.

Unless you are just tired of it. Why not a used car? Lots of good deals out there especially if you are looking for a truck or SUV.

BGCarrera32 · 02-02-2006, 07:10 AM

End of Decemeber right before they close the books...

scottmandue · 02-02-2006, 07:39 AM

Yes it is cheaper to keep it... but time is money...

I can not/will not waste my time running back and forth to the mechanic. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt... not going to happen... nuh uh... no way... PITA

I hate taking the car in to get FREE warranty work done.

Do you suppose buying now would be a real bad idea?

Rot 911 · 02-02-2006, 07:47 AM

Plenty of 1 year old used cars on the dealer's lots in the 5K-8K mile range. Lots of warranty left and the initial bugs, if any, have been taken care of.

Steve Carlton · 02-02-2006, 07:49 AM

I wouldn't think right now would be bad at all. What kind of car are you looking for?

RallyJon · 02-02-2006, 08:18 AM

Right now is a great time. The whole calendar has moved forward from how things were a couple of years ago. The '07s will be out in the Spring and dealers are getting antsy about moving '06 inventory. Traffic is also pretty slow this time of year making them even more desperate. Lots of mfr incentives, too.

JavaBrewer · JavaBrewer's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by scottmandue
Yes it is cheaper to keep it... but time is money...

I can not/will not waste my time running back and forth to the mechanic. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt... not going to happen... nuh uh... no way... PITA

Huummm, so how many hours are you going to burn shopping for a car then negotiating the sale? That probably equates to a free year of dealing with repairs. I just don't get your logic - sounds to me like your current 70K car has just reached the perfect commuter mark. I mean really, 20 miles commuting, you don't even need working brakes or suspension. Just a make sure the cooling system (yours and engine) are up to speed and that the cup holder works. I made the mistake of buying new once...

scottmandue · 02-02-2006, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dmoolenaar
Huummm, so how many hours are you going to burn shopping for a car then negotiating the sale? That probably equates to a free year of dealing with repairs.

I can buy a car in three hours, ... that equates to one visit to the repair shop... not to mention time wasted if the car dies and strands me by the side of the road.

I know exactly what make and model I want. I check the Internet and local Sunday paper to get an ballpark on price. There are at least a half dozen dealers in my area, I call them all and get a quote then go to the place with the best price. If they dick me around I walk out and go to the next dealer.

Hey, to each their own... some people don't mind the inconvenience of maintaining an old car but for me it is a non-negotiable.

TerryBPP · 02-02-2006, 10:47 AM

Supposedly December is the best time to get a 'deal' on a car. Dealerships are scrambling to meet end of the year quotas.

RallyJon · 02-02-2006, 11:12 AM

Quote:

If they dick me around

Many dealerships now have a salesman who's responsible for e-mail and internet leads. That guy is often the best salesman to talk to, since he a) is smart enough to use e-mail, and b) is used to dealing with people who have done the research and know all the numbers.

No-BS salesmen tend to get a lot of referral business for obvious reasons.

stevepaa · 02-02-2006, 11:33 AM

Best deal in August on leftover new cars. We got 25% reduction in price on a 2004 volvo in August 2004.

scottmandue · 02-02-2006, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RallyJon
Many dealerships now have a salesman who's responsible for e-mail and Internet leads. That guy is often the best salesman to talk to, since he a) is smart enough to use e-mail, and b) is used to dealing with people who have done the research and know all the numbers.

No-BS salesmen tend to get a lot of referral business for obvious reasons.

Yep, I am working with a guy via email already.

vash · vash's Garage

as i understand it. superbowl sunday is a good day to shop for a car.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

From almost 10 years in the biz: Shop during the day in the middle of the week. Really bad weather is double bonus points. The sales manager gets uptight when there are no customers around and he'll deal just to move something that day. Middle December is a good time cause everyone is out Christmas shopping. June-July can be good IF you are buying something that is not in short supply. Also, if you keep a car forever, buy a new car of the previous year's model in Sept. "Demos" and "Brass-Hat" cars are almost never a good deal and most are rental cars bought at dealer only auctions. You can usually get one for almost the same money with no miles (and remember: "there are no speed bumps in rental cars!") Spring is not usually a good time since everyone and their brother are out spending their tax refund.

fireant911 · 02-04-2006, 03:19 AM

I just purchased my truck. I strategically planned this deal just before Christmas (the evening of December 23 as the dealership was closed on Christmas eve) - hoping that very little activity was taking place at he dealership (which was quite true). I had spent a considerable amount of time in the Edmunds.com site and reading the ConsumerGuide Auto 2006 as this had become my most read bathroom book. Getting a multitude of quote was competitors added some addition visibility.

It is my understanding that the dealerships must also pay taxes on the vechicles in their possession at the end of the year which may provide further incentive to them to make a deal. Although it is quite a few more months before the end of the year and this information does not serve you well at the moment.

I played around with spreadsheets and arrived at a fair price for both parties. I handed the salesman my 'out-the-door' price and that was my extent of the haggling. Of course, I had to endure a few of episodes of 'we cannot sell it for that price / we're loosing money'. Not going to play games any longer, I told the salesman my price is firm and he knows how to contact me should they decide to sell it for that price. After he had yet another consultation with the manager, I bought the truck.

I think a lot of their desire to sell will depend upon their popularity / demand for the vehicle as well as how close they are to the monthly quota. Evaluate the vechicles on Sunday unless you already know the exact model / features you desire. I watched their inventory on the Internet and when a candidate was scheduled to arrive I planned a visit on Sunday. You should do all of the research yourself - and be sure to do all of your homework (it is an expensive purchase!!!). You will get attacked by salespersons at the moment you set foot on their property claiming to want to help yet I was dumbfounded about the lack of knowledge that the majority of the salepersons had about the product they were peddling.

My wife and I are currently looking for a small SUV for the daughter (college student / needs to haul stuff). As the 2006's are practically identical to the 2005's for the make / model she is wanting, we are seeking out the older new model. The vechicle has already depreciated when the 2006's arrived. In researching various sites, we found that the the value had dropped between 10%-15% when the 2006's were released. My local credit union estimated a reduction in value of between $3,000 and $5,000 for the particular make and model that we are seeking - with less than 20 miles on the clock.

Right now is probably the worst time to buy if you are seeking out the best deal as many folks have a bit of disposable income via tax returns just burning a hole in their pockets... and trust me, the dealerships are right on top of that situation.

Summary:
Truly evaluate your wants versus your needs
Christmas time
Possibly end of any other month
2005 model (if available as new)
Be prepared to walk (away from the deal if not acceptable)

scottmandue · 02-04-2006, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fireant911

Summary:
Truly evaluate your wants versus your needs
Christmas time
Possibly end of any other month
2005 model (if available as new)
Be prepared to walk (away from the deal if not acceptable)

Thanks Daryl and Joe and everyone else.

Definitely done my homework, know exactly what I want and what they are going for:

Hyundai Tribuion 4 banger 2006 $15600 seems to be rock bottom, I need to ask about a 2005.

Can't beleive a thread about buying a econo car lasted a week on this board!

Steve Carlton · 02-04-2006, 07:26 AM

Quick way to get to the bottom line is call a few dealers and ask for the fleet manager. Ask them what the invoice is, what the incentives are, and their markup.

Dave L · 02-04-2006, 07:34 AM

I visited 6 dealers in one day when I bought my Protege 5. I came in told them exactly what i wanted and asked for a final price. I made everyone fully aware that I was visiting multiple dealers and the best price at the end of the day would win.

I ended up with a guy who had just started selling cars and was selling carpets the week before. Eager to get his first sale we got the price to $395/month lease. My top number was $420 but most fell around $410. To cap it off I had the sales manager throw in an accessory. I am sure he was thinking floor mats, I got roof racks.

From that date I visited the dealer to pick up the car and last spring to buy out the lease.

Good luck with the buy